Hay-press.



J. & A. LAPKE.

HAY PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1912.

Patented Jan. 7 1913.

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J. & A.'LAPKE.

HAY PRESS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 25, 1912.

Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

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&5 A. LAPKE.

HAY PRESS.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1912.

Patented J an. 7, 1913.

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J. & A. LAPKE.

HAY PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1912.

1,050,032. Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

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UNITED STATES ATN FFTQE.

JOSEPH LAPKE AND AUGUST LAPKE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HAY-PRESS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH LAPKE, a citizen of the United States, andAoeusr LAPKE, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, bot-h residing atChicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHay-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

The essential object of this invention is to provide a machine whichwill gather the hay from the ground as it has fallen from the mower, andwhich will, also, bale the hay. Many baling machines are known in theart, into which machines the loose hay must be fed by hand, thusnecessitating the two separate and distinct operations of raking orgathering the hay from the ground and then of baling the loose hay, butthe machine herein-described entirely dispenses with manual handling ofloose hay, and, when this invention is used, the hay is not handledexcept by the machine, from the time that it falls upon the ground untilit is completely baled and ready for shipment.

In the drawings Figure l is a side elevation of the hay-press; Fig. 2 isa detailed view of partof the mechanism for controlling the rake and theother parts by which the hay is conveyed from the ground to the pointwhere it is acted upon by the compressing or baling mechanism; Fig. 3 isa top plan view of the hay-press; Figs. 4, 5, 6, and '7 are details ofsome of the members by which the hay is moved to the point where it iscompressed; Fig. 8 is a section on the line 88, Fig. 3; Fig. 9 is a topplan view of the rake and some connected parts; Fig. 10 is a detailedview taken at rightangles to the view shown in Fig. 9, showing themembers at the right-hand end of said Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a detailed viewof one of the members used for forwarding the hay; Fig. 12- is a view,partly in section, of the device shown at the right-hand end of Fig. 10,the plunger or compressor being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 13 is arear-end view of the delivery and compressing chute, showing the meansfor regulating the size thereof; Figs. 14 and 15 are views of theplunger or compressor; Figs. 16 and 17 are views of some of the partswhich prevent a retrograde movement of the hay which has been forwardedbeyond a certain point; Figs. 18 and 19 show part of the mechanism bywhich the plunger is caused to reciprocate; Fig. 20 is a detailed viewshowing the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 25, 1912.

Patented J an. 7, 1913.

Serial No. 693,032.

platform upon which one of the attendants stands; and Fig. 21 is asectional view on the line 2l21, Fig. 20.

The press, and all parts of the machine, are carried upon a vehiclecomprising a framework 1 which is supported by front wheels 2 and rearwheels 3, the operating parts being driven by said rear wheels 3. Theaxle 4, upon which the wheels 2 are j ournaled, is secured by a king-pin5 at the front end of the framework, and the horses or traction engineare attached to the machine by the shaft 6. The rear wheels 3, by whichthe power is supplied, are mounted upon an axle 7, which is preferablyprovided with a difierential (not shown) such as is commonly used onautomobiles or with some other equivalent contrivance in order that thetwo wheels 3 need not rotate in unison. Upon the axle 7 are thesprocketwheels 8 which are locked to wheels 3 by any suitablecontrivance such as a pawl and ratchet, and the sprocket chains 9 whichpass over wheels 8 communicate motion from wheels 3 to the operatingparts (Figs. 1 and It should be understood that the sprocket wheels 8can be unlocked from wheels 3 whenever desired in order that themachinery may remain idle when the press is being merely transported tothe place where it is to be used.

J ournaled transversely of the machine are shafts 10 and 11. Sprocketpinions 12 are secured to the shaft 11, and at the outer ends of shaft11 are gears 13 which mesh with and drive the gears 14 on shaft 10. Atthe ends of shafts 10 and 11 are links 15, secured in place bylinch-pins 16 (Fig. 1), the object of said links being to hold the endsof the shafts 10 and 11 at a fixed distance apart and hus keep the gears13 and 14 in mesh notwithstanding the inevitable vibration and rattlingof the machine. The operating parts which compress the hay into balesare driven from the shaft 10, and in order to secure the maximumefficiency said shaft should rotate in a direction 0pposite to that inwhich wheels 3 rotate. The means herein shown for transmitting motionfrom wheels 3 to shaft 10 are well adapted to perform the function butmay be replaced by any other equivalent mechanical appliance.

The shaft 10 is divided at about its middie and carries upon each part amember 17 upon which the pin 18 is eccentrically secured (Figs. 3, 8,18). A toggle-joint is provided composed of the two links 19 and 20pivoted together at 21, link 19 being also pivoted to pin 18, and link20 to rod or shaft 22. A link 23 is pivoted to the togglejoint at. 21and is also pivoted upon the rod 2 1 which extends from one wall 25 tothe other wall, said link 23 serving to support the toggle-joint and toconfine its movements within predetermined limits (Fig. 8). In the spacebetween the two side-walls 25 is the reciprocating plunger or compressor26 which is caused to move back and forth in a substantially horizontalplane, and at each forward stroke, 2'. 0., each movement toward theright, Figs. 1, 3, or 8, acts upon the hay which has been gathered fromthe ground and forces the hay toward the open end of the compressingchute. The plunger 26 is of substantially the same size as thetransverse section of the bale to be formed and is adapted practicallyto fill the space between the side-walls 25. The walls 25 are slotted at27 (Figs. 2, 1 1, and 15) to receive the straps 28 which are fastened byscrews or bolts 29 to the plunger 26 (Figs. 1 1 and 15), and said strapsor lugs 28, in conjunction with the slot 27, support the plunger andcontrol its path of travel. The rod 22 may have its ends received withinrecesses provided therefor in straps 28, thus affording a convenientmeans for securing rod 22 to the plunger. The bottom edge of the plungeris not integral with the main body thereof but is formed of a plate 30hinged to the plunger by hinges 31 (Figs. 8 and 1 1). When the plungertakes a forward stroke, the plate 30 will be forced against the haywhich has accumulated in the path of travel of the plunger and saidplate will be forced into the position shown in Fig. 8, and in fulllines in Fig. 14; but when the plunger is retracted toward the left theplate 30 may swing to the dottedline position in Fig. 1 1 and thusprevent binding or clamping of the plunger. The plunger is provided witha shoulder 32 which reinforces the swinging plate 30. The lower edge ofplate 30 is adapted to engage part of the floor upon which the hay restsbefore being compressed, while the shoulder 32 is adapted to clear saidfloor.

The rake, which comprises the bed 33 and the tines 34E (Fig. 9), ispivotally mounted, and is connected with chute 36. At a point near thedrivers seat 37 is the lever 38 provided with a pawl adapted to lockwith the ratchet 39 (Fig. 1). Lever 38 is fixed upon the shaft 40, whichcarries the crank-arm 41 from which the chain or rope 412 extends overthe sheave 43, and which is secured to the bed 33 (Figs. 1 and 2). Ifthe lever 38 be moved toward the left in Fig. 1, the rake is therebylifted off the ground, but when the parts are in the position-shown insaid Fig. 1, the tines 3 are adapted to ride upon the ground. As themachine is drawn toward the left in Fig. 1, the tines 3 1 will rideunderneath the hay which has fallen upon the ground, and the hay, bothbecause of the forward movement of the vehicle and of the appliancespresently to be described, will pass upon the bed 33 and upwardly alongthe chute 36.

Hinged to the plunger 26 at 4: 1 is the plate 45 (Figs. 1 and 8). At theend of said plate opposite to the hinges is a rod d6, upon which teeth47 are loosely mounted. At each forward stroke of the plunger the plate45 will be carried therewith and the teeth 17 will catch the hay whichhas col lected upon the tines 34 of the rake and will carry the hay ofithe tines and off the bed 33 into the chute 3G. .Vhen the plunger movesrearwardly or toward the left, Fig. 8, the teeth 17 will ride looselyover the hay which has collected upon tines 3 1 during the first forwardmotion of the plunger, and at the second forward motion will carry intothe chute 36 the hay which has collected upon the tines 3 1 during thefirst forward motion, and so on, each forward motion of the plungerbeing adapted to advance for a certain distance that hay which has beencollected by the rake during the previous forward stroke of the plunger.The forward movement of the plunger 26 carries it suiiiciently fartoward the right, Fig. 8, for the teeth 47 to clean the hay off thetines 341 and bed 33 and to carry the hay upwardly through the chute 36until the hay rests upon the floor of the vertically reciprocating table18 (Fig. 8).

Table 18 is placed beneath the path of travel of the plunger 26 in suchposition that, at each forward stroke of the plunger the bottom edge ofthe swinging plate 30 will scrape the floor of the table and thus cleanoff any hay which may rest thereupon. Depending from the sides 25 areboards 19, each provided with a slot 50 (see Figs. 2 and 8) and a rod 51extends from side to side of the machine with its ends projectingthrough slots 50. Said rod 51 is also secured to the table 48, andsprings 52 (see Fig. 1) secured to the boards 49 are con nected to saidrod 51 and keep the same and the table 48 normally depressed. Arms 53extend beneath the table and form a bed therefor, said arms being hingedat 541- to the under side of the compressing chute. To each wall 25 abell-crank 55 is pivoted at 56 (Fig. 2). Links 57 connect the bellcrankto the rod 51, while the link 58 connects the bell-crank to the lever59. Said lever is pivoted to the side of the machine and is disposed inthe path of travel of the ciproca-ting plunger and wliiclrzprejectsout--wardl y' through slot 27. Each time that the plunger moves toward theleft (Fig. 1 or 2), the stops 28 strike the levers 59, thereby rockingthe bell-crank 55 and causing the table 48 to move upwardly. The haywhich is upon said table is thereby lifted to a point where it lies inthe path of travel of the plunger 26 and will be acted upon at the nextforward stroke of the plunger. The size of the parts and theirarrangement is such that the table 48 will begin to descend just at thetime that the plunger touches the table, but in order to prevent the hayupon the table from falling out of reach of the plunger as the table 48descends, springlike catches 60 are provided, which said catches aresecured to the sides 25 and project inwardly through the slots 50 (Figs.6 and 7). As the table 418 sinks or is depressed from the full-lineposition Fig. 7 to the dotted-line position (or from the dottedlineposit-ion to the full-line position in Fig. 8), the inwardly-projectingarms of the catches 60 will remain in place and will not only keep thehay from falling but will positively hold the same up at a point whereit will be caught and acted upon by the compressor 26. Each successiveforward reciprocation of the compressor 26 carries toward the open endof the compressing chute and toward the delivery platform 61, Fig. 8,the hay which has been picked off the ground and successively advanceduntil it rests upon the spring-like catches 60, and forces eachsuccessive batch of hay toward the platform 61. Upon the inner side ofthe walls 25 are spring-like tongues 62, one end of each of whichprojects through a perforation 63 in the wall (Fig. 16), and as the hayis forced toward the right by the plunger these tongues 62, projectinginwardly into the machine, will catch the hay which has been carriedpast said springs and prevent any retrograde movement of the hay. Theplunger-head is slotted at 64,- (Fig. 15) so as to enable same to clearthe tongues 62, and while the plunger moves toward the right in Fig. 8 aconsiderable distance beyond the tongues 62, the plunger can readilyreturn to the left of said tongues and therebeyond, whereas the haywhich has been carried to the right of said tongues cannot move to theleft thereof.

Beyond or to the right of the tongues 62 is the compressing chute whichcomprises four walls gradually tapering together and forming aprism-like structure. The sides 65 (Figs. 1 and 13) of the compressingchute are really prolongations of and may be formed integrally with thewalls 25, and the sides can be drawn together or retracted from eachother by tightening or loosening the turnbuckles 66 which ride upon thescrew-threaded ends of the rods 67 which are secured in any appropriatemanner to the sides 65. The sides 65 are slotted at 68, the

purpose of'said slots being to permit the insertion of the wires whichare used for binding the baled hay together. The top 7 O and bottom 71of the delivery chute are preferably made of sheet metal, the edges ofsaid top and bottom being adapted to bear against angle-irons orbrackets 72 which are fixed upon the walls 65.

The top is slotted at 73 and a board or partition is adapted to bedropped through said slot 73 and rest upon the bottom of the compressingchute. The board is not shown in the drawings but is to be dropped inplace whenever enough hay has been accumulated within the compressingchamber to form a bale, and the function of the board is to keep the haycomprising successive bales separated. In order to prevent the hay frompushing the board toward the left, Fig. 8, and get same in way of themovable parts, catches 74 are provided which are constructed in a mannerpractically identical with tongues 62, and which are disposed inhorizontal alinement therewith in order that the slots 04 in the plungerwill clea said catches 74: (Fig. 8).

In order to assist the tongues 62in preventing a retrograde movement ofthe hay which has been. carried into the delivery and compressing chuteby the plunger, the pivoted stop 75 is provided, which stop projectsupwardly through a slot 76 in the bottom (see Fig. 12). Said member 75normally projects upwardly to where its upper edge is in the path oftravel of the plunger, and, at each forward stroke, the plunger willride over said member 75 and depress the same as shown in Fig. 12, theposition of the parts being indicated by the dotted lines. After theplunger has moved beyond the slot- 76 the spring 77 will carry themember 75 back to the full-line position and when the plunger movestoward the left the board 30, which is loosely pivoted upon the plunger,will ride over member 75 (rising to the dotted-line posit-ion, Fig. 14),but immediately thereafter drop into the full-line position in said Fig.14.

On the left-hand side (Fig. 8) of the stop 75 is a table or board 78which extends from one wall 65 to the other (see Figs. 8 and 10). Saidtable is normally kept elevated by the springs 79. The upper surface ofmember 78 is approximately upon a level with the surface of the table 48when it is in its topmost position. As the plunger 26 takes a forwardstroke, the lower edge of the board 30 will scrape said table or member78 and may depress the same somewhat against the resistance of thesprings 79.

A platform 80 is provided in order that the man or men who are in chargeof the machine may ride thereupon and stand in convenient position formanipulating the wires which are used for baling the hay.

Said platform. comprises footboards which are pivoted by pins 81 to carsor lugs 82. The delivery chute carries brackets 83 upon which the crosspieces Sl are adapted to be sruoported. The footlooards rest upon saidsupports 8%. and the delivery platform 61, upon which the bales fall asthey emerge fron'i the con'ipressor, is permitted to rest upon the rearend of the platform 80.

As shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 9, springs 85 are provided, the ends 86 ofwhich are received within recesses 8'? in table 48. The object of the snrings is to keep the table 41:8 and the chute 3G normally pressedtoward the right in Fig. 4:. The arms 53 which support the table 48 arerecessed at 88 (Figs. 8 and 10) in order to accommodate the member 78.The chute 36 is hinged or pivoted at 89 to the table L8 (Fig. and at itslower end rides over the rod 90 (Fig. 8) and beneath the edge of the bedin this way the rising and falling of the table 4.8 and the chute 86will not disturb the rake composed of the bed and tines 5ft. Said bed 33is provided with ears 91 which encircle rod 90, and thus the rake canrise or fall, rocking upon rod 90 in accordance with the movements ofthe lever 38. The rod 90 may be supported upon boards tt) or in anyother convenient manner.

The operation as follows: its the machine is drawn by the horses towardthe left, F 1, some hay is scraped off the ground by the rake andgradually passes over the bed 33, chute 36, and upon the table 48 whenthe same is in the dotted-line position, Fig. 8. This movement of thehay from the ground to the table 48 is expedited and, in a way, securedby the teeth ll which reciprocate in accordance with the movements ofthe reciprocating plunger. At each movement of the plunger and justbefore the beginning of its forward stroke, the reciprocating table l8is lifted by the devices shown in Fig. 2 to the full-li11e position inFig. 7. The catches 60 will hold the hay in elevated position where itwill be engaged and caught by the plunger during its forward stroke, andthe plunger will force the hay off the table 48 and into the compressingand delivery chute. For the first few strokes of the plunger, when themachine has first begun to operate, the hay will be rather loose in thecompressing chute, but after the machine has been in operation a shorttime the delivery chute will become tightly packed with hay, because anew and additional amount of hay is carried or forced into the chute ateach reciprocation of the plunger. T he hay is compressed because thebody of the hay is forced to travel through the compressing chute whichtapers toward the open end. When enough hay has accumulated in the compre n g chute to form the first bale, a board is dropped through theslot 73 thus separatones ing the first bale from the second bale, and asthe machine continues operations the sec ond bale gradually ejects thefirst bale from the chute, it being understood that the first bale iswired. while it is still within the chute. 'lhe hay which has once beenforced into the chute is retained therein by the tongues 69, and thespring-controlled member All moving parts are supplied with power fromthe wheels 3 and the rotation of said wheels is communicated to theplunger by means of the sprockets and gears and other mechanism, whichshow to best advantage in Figs. 1, 3, and 8 of the drawing. Eachreciprocation of the plunger is accompanied by a reciprocation of thevertical table 48.

.lt will be obvious from all that has been stated heretofore that thismachine is adapted to gather the hay from the ground, advance it to apoint where the hay can be compressed, and to compress and bale the hay,and that all of said. several operations are performed by the onemachine, and manual labor of handling loose hay is rendered entirelyunnecessary. The only manual labor involved is to drop the boardsthrough the slot '78 and to atlix the wires to the bales, but with theseexceptions every ground to the delivery of the bound and completed balesupon the platform 61, is performed by machine.

It will be obvious that many details of construction may be changed andmany wellknown mechanical equivalents may be supstituted for thespecific parts shown in the drawings and set forth inthe specification,but that such changes will not involve a departure from the scope of theinvention or of the various claims.

Ty e claim as our invention:

1. In. a hay-press, the combination of a reciprocating compressoradapted to travel in a substantially horizontal plane, a rake :arriedbeneath said compressor and adapted to gather the hay from the ground,and means operated by the plunger for removing the hay from the rake andadvancing same to a point in the path of travel of the plunger.

2. In a hay-press, the combination of a framework, wheels upon which thesame is supported, a reciprocating compressor, a shaft adapted to rotatein a direction opposite to said wheels, means whereby said wheels drivesaid shaft, and means i11termediate said shaft and said compressor totranslate rotation of said shaft into motion of said compressor.

3. in a hay-press, the combination of a reciprocating compressor, a rakeadapted to gather the hay from the ground, means for advancing said hayoff said. rake, a reciprocating table upon which said hay is step fromthe gathering of hay from the 9 adapted to pass, and means for movingsaid table to a point where the hay carried thereupon will be in thepath of travel of said compressor.

4. In a hay-press, the combination of a reciprocating compressor, atable which reciprocates approximately at right angles to the path oftravel of said compressor, means for gathering the hay from the groundand placing same upon said table, and means for moving said table to apoint where the hay carried thereupon will be in the path of travel ofsaid compressor.

5. In a hay-press, the combination of a framework, wheels upon which thesame is supported, a compressor adapted to reciprocate in horizontalplane, a shaft adapted to rotate in a direction opposite to said wheels,means whereby said wheels drive said shaft, and means for convertingrotation of said shaft into longitudinal reciprocation of saidcompressor.

6. In a hay-press, the combination of a framework, wheels upon which thesame is supported, a compressor adapted to reciprocate in horizontalplane, a shaft adapted to rotate in a direction opposite to said wheels,means whereby said wheels drive said shaft, an arm eccentrically pivotedto said shaft, an arm in pivotal relation with said compressor, andmeans for securing said arms together.

7. In a haypress, the combination of a reciprocating compressor, a rakeadapted to gather the hay from the ground, means to forward the hay fromsaid rake to a point where the hay is acted upon by said compressor, andmeans connected to the compressor for actuating said means forforwarding the hay.

8. Ina hay-press, the combination of a reciprocating compressor adaptedto travel in a substantially horizontal plane, a rake carriedtherebeneath and adapted to gather the hay from the ground, a movabletable, means to forward said hay from said table, and means actuated bythe compressor adapted to move said table to a point where the haycarried thereupon will be acted upon by said compressor.

9. In a hay-press, the combination of a reciprocating compressor adaptedto travel in a substantially horizontal plane, a rake carriedtherebeneath and adapted to gather the hay from the ground, a movabletable, means to forward said hay from said rake to said table, meansactuated by the compressor adapted to move said table to a point wherethe hay carried thereupon will be acted upon by said compressor, andmeans for forwarding the hay from said rake to said table.

10. In a hay-press, the combination of a reciprocating compressor, meansadapted to remove the hay from the ground, a table adapted to hold thehay at a point where it will be acted upon by said compressor, arotating shaft, means for converting movement of said shaft intomovement of said compressor, and means for converting movement of saidshaft into movement of said means for forwarding the hay.

11. In a hay-press, the combination of a framework, a reciprocatingcompressor, means adapted to gather the hay from the ground, means toforward the hay to a point where it will be acted upon by thecompressor, a lever adjacent the seat occupied by the driver, and meansoperated by said lever to move to inoperative position said means forremoving the hay from the ground.

12. In a hay-press, the combination of a framework, a reciprocatingcompressor, means for elevating the hay to a point where the hay will beacted upon by said compressor, a part of said elevating means beingsometimes disposed in the path of travel of said compressor, means forretaining the hay in elevated position, and means permitting theaforesaid part of said elevating means to move beyond the path of travelof the compressor.

18. In a hay-press, the combination of a framework, a reciprocatingcompressor, means for elevating the hay from the ground to a point wherethe hay will be acted upon by said compressor, said means being operatedby the compressor upon the idle stroke, and means for retaining the hayin elevated position, said means for actuating the elevating means beingreleased upon the operative stroke of the compressor.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto aflixed our names in the presenceof two witnesses.

JOSEPH LAPKE. AUGUST LAPKE.

Witnesses:

R0131. KLoTz, GEO. A. SHArnR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

